I’ve heard that it is a particularly quiet hurricane season this year. There is a storm in the gulf (Tropical Storm Karen, I believe), that might cause substantial damage. But there has been nothing like last year’s catastrophe along the Eastern seaboard (thank you, Lord!). And yet, along with the lack of churning clouds and waters, there have still been reports of further doom, whether from the weather being too hot, too cold, or some other horrible possibility.

Isn’t that just like being human? Worry when there are storms, and worry when there aren’t storms.

It’s also true of living with illness. Oh, how difficult it is to trust the “good” days! You edge through the morning, looking around corners for something to change the serenity of the day. Afternoon brings more caution, as you step carefully through, perhaps, a chore you’d put off because you hadn’t been feeling well until then. Yes, you are eager to accomplish this long-awaited task. Or, perhaps you are looking forward to spending time with a friend you haven’t seen in awhile because you haven’t felt like it. But, if you do venture out or venture forth to do/see/be – there’s still that alter-you whispering, “Don’t you think this is too much? Won’t this good time make you really tired, realling feeling bad, tomorrow?”

Yup. In some ways, when the storms don’t come, we feel even more as if there is a bank of low-hanging, dark clouds right over our heads. But, we don’t have to!

Good days might be rare or frequent. They might be partly cloudy, but good all the same. And when they happen, we deserve them! Yes, they are gifts from God, and meant to be enjoyed.

Next time a really good day comes along, or even a good few hours, unwrap them with delighted expectation, just as you would a gift from a loved one.

For that is what they are. the Lord gives us those good days not as “Why? What’s going to go wrong next?” but rather as “Here. Take what I give. Because I, your God, love you.”

Maureen Pratt

Several years ago, Maureen Pratt earned her Master of Fine Arts in Theater Arts/Playwriting from UCLA's School of Theater, FIlm and Television. She expected to be writing scripts. God had other plans.

A few years after her graduation, Maureen was diagnosed with a life-threatening case of organ-involved lupus. Her life turned upside down as she grappled with the effects of the illness and other health conditions that ensued. She was no stranger to serious health challenges; even as a child, Maureen had survived numerous bouts of pneumonia, flu, and other infections. But lupus made her take a fresh look at her life goals - and took herlifelong, strong Catholic Christian faith and writing in a direction she'd never imagined.

Today, Maureen writes and speaks about walking with the Lord while living with chronic pain and illness. Her most recent book is "Don't Panic!: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough (Franciscan Media). She is also the author of, "Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness" (Image Books/Randomhouse), "Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy" (Twenty-Third Publications), "The First Year: Hypothyroidism, Second Edition" (Perseus) and "Taking Charge of Lupus: How to Manage the Disease and Make the Most of Your LIfe." She writes the syndicated column, "Living Well," for Catholic News Service, and has also written for Saint Anthony Messenger Magazine, Journey for Women Magazine, The Upper Room Magazine, LupusNow, and Arthritis Today. Maureen's health continues to be a challenge, however she feels honored to be able to bring her perspective, from experience and knowledge, to others.

"Good Days...Bad Days with Maureen Pratt" is a new way for Maureen to reach people who carry the burden of illness and pain in their lives, or who care for someone who does. Through the blog, she hopes to bring issues of health, wellness, and spirit into focus and, especially, inspire others that, no matter what health challenges, illness, or hardships they endure, each person can find a good way to realize the wonderful potential God has placed within each heart and soul.